Under Pressure
by April122002
Summary: Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn. Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking. Vampire Edward snatches teenager Bella on a whim, and has to navigate the consequences.
1. Chapter 1

**Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

A dark vampire watched the innocent young woman while she slept. Her dreams flickered through her own mind and his as well. Edward had some slight mind-reading ability, able to catch the tone and tenor of a person's mind, without hearing any distinct thoughts. He saw images, so in this case where the woman was dreaming about her boyfriend, instead of the prose or the conversation, he saw a clear image of a young man in his mind, without really knowing what the woman was dreaming. He could tell the dream was positive, though. If it were a nightmare, he would likely see the young man's image haloed by darkness. The vampire, the tall and handsome Edward Cullen, had stalked his prey this way for centuries, becoming fixated on one human woman, and unable to think of anything else until he fed. He would learn as much as he could about the human, the hobbies and interests, loves and hates, vocation and family. The scent would become as familiar as home, so that he could hone in on it from miles away, and know what the woman was doing at each moment. His thirst was mild, so he was able to silently track, as long as it took, until he was ready to become one with his prey, taking her flesh into his mouth, penetrating her neck with his teeth, and drinking deeply until sated. He thought it usually took about three months, as the choosing and tracking was the addiction he craved even more so than the meal. He loved each one of his victims in his own way. They were His in his mind, and by the time he ended their lives, he felt real affection. But never remorse, only euphoria when the day was done. He drank only four humans every calendar year, which other members of his coven shunned. He finally had to break out on his own about 25 years earlier when one of the coven members, Jasper, swooped in and drank the prey he had been cultivating for months, trying to show what a waste it was to stalk so intently. So Edward had been alone now for a quarter of a century, only speaking to the occasional transient vampire he ran across, or a random person he interacted with in everyday activities like putting gas in his inconspicuous Volvo or buying clothes. He preferred to dress to blend in the background, often wearing a black knit cap to hide his brilliant auburn hair, and wearing a t-shirt under his plaid button down to disguise his pale skin and lean muscular build.

As he considered the sleeping woman, Edward tried to decide whether she would be his next chase. He thought probably NOT, as he was not so intrigued, and he really needed that pull in order to keep him focused on his little game. He had watched this young woman for several days now, and could not quite get a bead on her. He had finally drained his last prey just two weeks ago, and still felt strong and satiated as a result. He found himself reflecting on his last victim, petite college student Alice Brandon, and her final moments. She had not been surprised to see him coming to kill her, almost as though she had known that he had been following her. His kill had been interrupted when he heard a police car in the distance, accompanied by Alice's three roommates pounding up the stairs in unison. Edward had to run like the wind to escape detection. Perhaps someone had seen Edward enter the woman's house through the window. He felt fairly certain Alice was dead, even though he had not finished drinking. He had delivered a strong blow to her head, and he knew her wrists had snapped when he grabbed them to restrain her. He had never made such a messy kill before. No wonder it was taking him a while to find a new woman who called to him. He felt an uneasy sense of dread whenever he thought about how sloppy and brutal the scene he left behind appeared. In the past, he always cleaned up his mess and even tried to set up a rational reason the women was missing or dead. He staged runaways and suicides, robberies and home invasion assaults. Alice was the first woman who would be found with a bite mark across her neck and crushed bones. He tried to keep an eye on the news, reading the local papers in Oxford, Mississippi looking for news of a brutal crime or a "vampire-style" killing. He did not want anyone to suspect what had actually happened to the petite young woman.

Edward went back to his rental apartment to shower and change and think about what to do next. He liked this new little town he had found. He really liked the Pacific Northwest. For the past ten years or so he had chosen college towns to settle in, knowing that they had transient populations and his appearance would not be questioned. He lived in Ann Arbor, Madison, New Haven, Gainesville… Because of the climate in Oxford- the deep south- he had to behave as the Vampire of myths, only coming out in the evening and staying indoors and away from human eyes during the daylight hours, which got longer and longer all summer long. Now it was autumn in Washington State, and the short dark days gave way to long darker nights. Even better than London for a vampire. He hoped he might even run across some others of his kind. Maybe even a female who might go for a run with him and then enjoy some conversation and perhaps affection. Yes, Edward was lonely and alone, which was quite different than the loneliness he had felt in his coven for all those years. He decided he would not drink from the girl he had been watching for the past couple of days. No, she was not The One.

Edward thought he should try to mingle a little bit in town, since it seemed he might be here a bit longer than the college towns. He had gone to the trouble of getting identification made and setting up a financial trail, and he had signed a year lease on his little apartment. He decided to go full bore with the human façade for this year, and furnish the apartment as if he would actually eat and sleep there. He liked the idea of a dining room table made out natural wood, as the aroma would please him. He also wanted to buy a large bed with a bed frame, so he could relax and listen to music or watch movies. He thought he would set up a large flat screen TV in his bedroom, and one in the living room. He would enjoy thoroughly outfitting the kitchen with cutting boards and plates and pots and pans. He knew that there was some possibility the landlord would need entrance to his place, or a handy man. He did not want to worry about the place looking uninhabited. Plus he was bored out of his mind, and he would enjoy the challenge of interacting with the humans in the different stores. This activity would buy him some time while he scouted his first prey in this town. He felt like his strengths and talents were failing him, and that his last woman had truly been a victim, terrified and in pain. He knew that he had timed the kill so poorly after tracking her so carefully over three months. He thought this time, perhaps he might actually introduce himself to the woman he chose, so he could better time his final act with her without feeling he will be exposed somehow. Yes, now that he thought all this through, he became convinced that this was the way to go.

Edward waited until noon or so, and headed out to the Costco in Sequim, a short drive from his place. He felt some regret that he was driving the Volvo, since he wanted to buy some larger items. He stopped at a gas station when he saw a box van parked off lot, with a for sale sign in the window. Edward was quite flush with cash at this time. About fifteen years ago, he bought himself a little computer called an Imac that had appealed to him. He loved technology, and was impressed with the elegance of the little machine. He decided to buy stock in the company that made the computer, even though he knew the company had been on a downtrend for some time. He paid about ten bucks a share, and invested his small savings. With the patience of one who has lived a long time, he watch the stock split and multiply, finally selling at 270.00 a share right before the big financial meltdown, taking dividends all along. He had money in banks all over the United States, but since he was alone with no real material needs, he just relished the security of knowing he could abandon a life at a moment's notice without worrying about his investments there.

Edward stepped into the gas station, where a Native American man was behind the counter. The man looked over Edward with suspicion in his dark eyes. Edward grinned easily at the man, and asked him about the van parked out front. The man visibly relaxed and said softly "Name's Jacob Black. Never seen you around here before. The van is in decent condition. I overhauled the engine myself. It's too old to have air bags or anti-lock brakes, but it drives really well. I am thinking I want $1,500 for it. This is my gas station, we repair cars here too. If you have any problems with it, just bring it in and I will fix it for nothing. I know that van like I know my name, wouldn't want anyone else to work on her."

Edward considered.

"I can give you 1,250 cash right now if you have the title. And I want to drive it away; I have some big ticket items I want to haul"

Jacob raised an eyebrow, and started rifling through some papers behind the counter, finally pulling out the van's paperwork. He signed the back and said "I will keep the insurance on it through the end of the week as a courtesy. You have yourself a car."

Edward counted out the 100 and 50 dollar bills until it came to 1,250 and grabbed the papers and keys. "I will be back later tonight to get my Volvo. I should have time to call my insurance agent by the end of the day today. I'll stop in tonight and let you know when I come to pick up my car." He trotted out to the van. It had windows on the passenger and driver's side, but none in the back. It had double doors opening the back of the van, and Edward swung them open. The van was huge in the back, enough room for a six foot couch and a bed, and maybe the table and chairs too if he got creative. He ran around and got in the van. Holy hell, it smelled in here. He wondered if the van had been used to transport dogs in the past. He drove quickly to the car wash up the street and had the car cleaned up. He could still smell it, but it was bearable now. He drove to Costco, his original destination.

Once he pulled into the parking lot of the large warehouse store, he noticed a young woman exiting the store. She was frowning into her cart, shuffling her feet. Looking at her receipt. Edward could feel his skin start to prickle, and the tiny hairs stand up. He forgot where he was and what he was trying to do. He willed the woman to look up, so he could see her eyes. He felt a click in his solar plexus, and as if he unspooled a rope, luring the woman toward him. He did not notice her figure or her hair color or what she wore; he was focused on her mouth, and on her neck, long and graceful. He thought he could SEE her pulse pounding in her throat, the hollow between her collar bones, her fragile bone structure. Edward felt all his senses hone on her, laser sharp. The whole world around him fell away. This. This is what he had been looking for, this feeling. This woman, she was on this earth for him alone. He wondered if she was a figment of his imagination, here in this dreary parking lot, an apparition surrounded by the normalcy of people shopping and chatting and doing errands. Suddenly, she looked up, almost as if she heard her name being called. Her face alight, she raced up to the van and flung open the driver's door, smiling. He could hear her say "Hey, Jake!" Edward was shocked that a stranger should approach in such a way. As she opened the door, a gusty breeze ran past her into the van, blinding Edward with the most unbelievable aroma. His throat clenched, his hands turned to claws, and he put his foot right through the metal on the van floor. The woman's scent was rich and smoky, chocolate and vanilla, floral and citrus. The only thought in his head was _I want it I want I want I want_. Fast as lightening, he was out of the van, towering over the woman. She had to be at least a foot shorter than he, probably 5'2 or so. He quickly maneuvered his body so that she was standing with her back to the van inside the open door, and he was blocking her path. She turned white, the blood draining from her face. "Um, not Jake," she muttered. "Sorry, excuse me; I thought you were someone else. I need to get my stuff to my truck now." She motioned toward the big red truck two vehicles down. Her eyes cast to her shoes, unable to look at Edward. He held his breath and held his position, his brilliant mind shuffling through options about how to deal with the situation best. Now that he had seen her and smelled her, he knew she would never be out of his sight as long as she was alive. Should he take her now? Or follow her home and take her there? He felt rationality returning. _Don't breathe, don't breathe_ became his mantra. He decided in a split second that anything could happen if he let her go know, and he was unwilling to take that risk. He pulled all his energy together, and focused it on his eyes. He knew that he could convince her to do just about anything if he harnessed his vampire desires and pulled her into trusting and obeying him. He locked eyes with her and said, low and menacing "Get in the van."


	2. Chapter 2

**Just for fun, not profit… Thanks for reading! So pleased to get so many story alerts. **

_The most violent element in society is ignorance_. Emma Goldman

Charlie Swan trudged up his front walk, his feet throbbing in his heavy work boots. He was lost in thought after the long twelve hour shift. Charlie liked his job as police chief, and he felt he needed to be present at every crime scene. He was also very good at his job. He had won two valor awards from the state, and had been recognized in a national magazine for his service to the community. This was his town, and he felt especially responsible for his two young deputies. That night had been particularly grueling, as they had intervened in a violent altercation between husband and wife. Charlie knew the man, Nick Price, who happened to be the principle the local high school attended by Charlie's daughter. In the violent drunken altercation, Price had seriously injured his wife, Eileen. She had a black eye, a fractured wrist and cracked several ribs. After booking the man, Charlie went and sat at the hospital with Eileen. He hoped she would cooperate with the investigation. Charlie wanted to charge Nick with felony battery, and he knew from long experience that it would go a lot smoother with her cooperation. Finally, after the long night, Eileen told Charlie she was ready. Ready to do her part to make sure Nick got the help he needed, ready to protect her and their family. Charlie took her statement and checked in with evidence before finally heading home. After working from noon to midnight, he did not think to look if his daughter Bella's truck was in the garage. He assumed she was sleeping in her bed. Bella was accustomed to fending for herself in the evening, and so mature and responsible that Charlie never gave it a thought.

It had been the two of them since Bella was a baby, when Bella's mother had run off with some athlete, leaving no forwarding address. At first, it had been difficult, and Charlie had burned through several nannies, until his best friend Billy, a Native American, offered to enroll Bella in the nursery school on the reservation with his son Jacob when she was just one year old. Jacob was four, and from that age on, had assigned himself to act as Bella's big brother and constant companion. After Jake graduated from high school last year, he got a small business loan and bought the run-down gas station in town, adding a full service garage and several mechanics, a small store with a selection of tobacco and groceries, and cleaning the place up in general. Jake was smart, because of his Native American ethnicity and the location of the place, he was able to sell things tax free and people came through just to buy tax-free liquor or smokes. He had all the licenses he needed to do so, and was very successful. Charlie knew Bella spent a lot of time at the station with Jake after school and on weekends. He knew that if Bella was not at home or at school, he would likely find her there.

Lost in thoughts, he entered his house, removing his gun belt and carefully storing it in the coat closet, hung up his coat, and groaned as he unlaced and pulled off his boots. He briefly thought about grabbing a hot shower or something to eat, but instead, he headed straight for bed in his boxer shorts, not even taking the time to put on the sweat shorts and t-shirt he slept in habitually. He slept clear through until 8 in the morning, deep and dreamless. He woke up and went straight for the shower, still grimy from the night before. Charlie appreciated the care Bella had taken in the bathroom, he could not even tell that she had showered and left for school. She was so clean and thoughtful. He was working day shift today, and was looking forward to dinner with his daughter tonight.

Once he was dressed for work, Charlie made his way downstairs. He looked for the case of Pepsi that Bella had promised to buy after school yesterday, and couldn't find it anywhere. She didn't get the package of paper towel either. That was odd. Charlie noticed the little light on the phone was flashing, signifying voice mail. He called to check the voicemail. His heart was suddenly slamming in his chest. He listened to his voicemail, hearing the automatic robot greeting from the high school, reporting that Bella was not in homeroom this morning and was absent unexcused. Charlie sat up straight. Bella had never missed a day of school. She was on-time to a fault, almost always early to any social scene. She joked that if she tried to be late to a party or group meeting, she was still exactly on time, and still the first one there. His heart started to slam in his chest. He felt his stomach drop, and ran for the bathroom, choking up sour bile. He broke out in a prickly cold sweat. His whole life was Bella. Whenever anyone asked him how she was doing, his stock answer was "There is no getting out of bed without that kid." She was literally the reason he got up and moved through the world, feeling so lucky every day to have her for his daughter. When she was small, the used to have a game they played where he would swing her around and sing "I am so happy you are my daughter. Out of all the girls in the whole wide world, I got the best one." Little Bella would sing back "The best one! The best one." And he had no idea where she was right now. After brushing his teeth to clear the vomit, and racing into his gun belt and the rest of his gear, Charlie Swan sped to the high school with sirens blaring. He was pulling it together, swallowing his fear and trying to focus like a laser on finding Bella and making sure she was safe.

Edward was in a predicament. Instead of setting his prey up so he could hunt her, he now owned her ass. While she got into the van, Edward raced around and shoved the entire shopping cart from her Costco excursion into the rear of the van. He noticed she purchased a large wrapped packet of chicken breasts, strip steaks, a huge bucket of blueberries, and several other packaged food items. He drove straight to his apartment in the van. He could tell that no one had noticed his fast action, for he did not see himself or the woman in anyone's mind. He walked behind his captive up to his place, thinking he would come down later for the groceries once she was asleep. . His mind was racing. He needed information if he was going to pull this off. He hoped that the woman did not have children or a husband who would miss her right away. He tried to talk to her during their ride in the van, but the dose of vampire charm was apparently overkill, as she could not even tell him her name. He knew from experience he would need to talk her down but keep her consciousness suppressed, so he could learn as much as possible. Unfortunately, he had not been able to furnish his apartment, and the place was totally bare. There was no food. He had no glassware, or dishes. He did have some towels, but no bed linens. Worst of all, he did not have a bed. He did have a couch, which was delivered in the first days in the town. The couch looked ridiculous floating in the empty apartment. He had his computer set up on the little end table, and that was where he had sat and searched for items about Alice's death, and whatever else he felt like looking at on the internet. He also had a small shelf for books, which was full of science fiction classics by Asimov and Heinlein. It was a small collection, and he could recite most of the books and short stories from memory.

The woman sat blankly on his couch, while he paced. Edward's mind was racing, trying to plan. He felt as though he was missing some crucial piece of information, and was frustrated that a plan was not clear to him. Should he ditch the van? Or tie her up in back and take off? Abandon the life he had gone to pains to set up? He had only been here a week. Surely if he were to disappear, no one would know. The only person he had told his name was the gas station attendant, when he needed to sign over the van title. He had never acted so impulsively, and in fact was started to doubt his impulses as of late. First, the botched attack on Alice Brandon, now here he was, a couple of weeks later- and months before he would normally feed- saddled with this mystery person whose scent addled his brain and confused his senses. He knew the easiest thing would be to release her now, and abandon the van. He could run over to the station where he had left the Volvo and go somewhere else, set up all over again and do things right. Yes, that is what he should do. But. The scent. This feeling. If he had known it existed, he would spend a hundred lifetimes tracking it down. He felt he could not separate from it. Edward was addicted already. He sat back and took a deep breath. He could feel live venom surging in his body. He felt as though he was electrified, powerful. He wanted to roll around in the scent, bathe in it, consume it and own it. No, he would not release her. He wished he could call someone and ask for advice. He had heard about vampires keeping humans as companions or assistants or even pets, but he had no idea how that came about or what to do to prepare for it. How would he get this woman to agree to stay with him? Could he keep her hypnotized all the time? Did he even want to drink from her? He wanted to keep her. He wished she was small enough to fit in his pocket, so he could carry her everywhere undetected. He grinned at this thought. He really was losing his shit. This is what happened when he lived life in his head too long. Perhaps his new companion would help him figure this out once she snapped out of her trance.

Right now, she was almost boneless, sacked out on the couch, her large dark eyes dilated and unblinking. He knew that hours were passing quickly, and he was losing his window of time to act. It was already the middle of the night. He wondered if the scent or presence of the woman acted as some kind of time mask, it had just slipped away from him. He flew down to the van and got the metal cart from the back. What had he been thinking to bring the whole cart? There was no explanation for that if he was questioned. The thing was huge in the living room of the apartment. Well, there was no ditching it now. He thought they could probably stay in the apartment for a while with these supplies. He would not have to leave her. Then he could think about what his next move would be. He approached his captive tentatively. He reached out and stroked her arm. He could feel the energy snapping between them, the scent surrounded him; he could actually taste it in the air. He could see the goose bumps rise on her arm along the path of his touch, but she still did not blink or shiver or flinch. He moved closer, still, hovering over her. He did not know if her mind was truly blank from her altered consciousness, but he had no sense of what she was thinking. No pictures flickered through his head. He could not tell if she was upset. So odd. He thought perhaps she was in shock. She was drooling a little bit, and her breathing was quite shallow. He looked at her closely. Her skin was a soft pink, her heart shaped lips red, her luminous eyes veiled with dark lashes, unblinking. Her full mouth was slack. She looked like an old-fashioned kewpie doll, with the over-exaggerated coloring combined with her motionless state. He found her quite lovely. If he had sketched the perfect mate for himself, she might look like this. Although he would prefer she dress more feminine. Scruffy jeans and sneakers were hardly the feminine ideal.

Edward sat down at his computer, trying to ease his mind. The browser was open to one of the news sites, and there was a flashing banner. Amber Alert. He had not thought about the surveillance cameras in the parking lot of the store. They had pictures of the van, and of the woman approaching it with a smile. They had the license plate number. The grainy video did not capture any of Edward's movement, or his face. But it was obvious that the woman climbed in the van. The video clearly showed her, full face and body. Now he had to get out of here. That van was parked right in front of his place. If they had not already, they would soon trace him back to his Volvo. His captive! Her name was Bella Swan. She was a minor! Only 16. He knew this meant that federal authorities would be involved, and that it could even make national news. This girl was so attractive, small town; it had all the ingredients of a leading news story. He quickly surfed over to another news site, where they had video of the girl's father, showing her picture and making a speech, surrounded by blue uniforms. It seemed that his captive's father was the chief of police. No biggie, right? Every police officer in the country would be on the hunt for her, she was one of their own. Plus the Feds. How would he get her out of here now? Where could they go? He could run very fast, but he could not let the girl out in public now. Everyone would recognize her. Sure, that would be great- a man running very fast with an unconscious teenager slung over his shoulder in broad daylight. That was not an option at all. Could he call a limo to pick them up? That would have tinted windows, and he could possible maintain anonymity to get out of town. Unless the driver recognized the girl. He would love to get her out of the country, perhaps to a big city where they could blend in. He knew Vancouver, BC was not far in miles from where they were, but they would need to take a ferry there, and likely go through customs. That would not work at all. He would not be able to wait for nightfall, now that he knew that. It was quite early in the morning now. He had his captive for probably 12 hours already. Everything he had done had fallen in on him at once, and he felt he had no option. Of course he could easily disappear if he left her behind, but this was a rapid thought, it held no appeal. He knew she would stay with him, no matter what. Maybe he could hide her with his vampire family. He did not even know where his former coven had settled if he needed their help, it had been twenty five years. Edward figured that law enforcement would likely find the van within the hour, this was a small town. He did not have time to obsess over every moment. He would need to take the girl in the van and quickly find some safer form of transportation and then figure out how what to do from there. He still felt the surging energy, and felt manic. He hummed an old David Bowie song as he packed up a couple of things in a duffel bag. He grabbed the bucket of blueberries and the case of Pepsi, the only food items that did not need to be cooked. He forced another zap of hypnotic suggestion to his captor, directing her to use a toilet and then follow him. He stayed with her the whole time. He did not let her out of his sight for a minute, an instant. There was no modesty for her- absurd. He owned her now. He needed her. She was like the vampire's best friend. Even though she had not said a word. Edward started to fantasize about how she would worship him, and do everything he asked of her. She would see him as a hero; perhaps even call him master or sir. She would be his, to do with as he wished, his constant companion. She would be so impressed with his intellect and strength, and his ability to provide for them both. She would follow his every move with adoring eyes. His captive would never want for anything. She would love him. He was sure of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just for fun, not profit… Thanks for reading! **

_I can't mate in captivity_. Gloria Steinem

_**Yeti**__: Just what I always wanted! My own little bunny rabbit. I will name him George and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him  
__**Daffy Duck**__: I'm not a bunny rabbit  
__**Yeti**__: And pat him and pet him...  
__**Daffy Duck**__: You're hurting me. Put me down, please.  
...and rub him and caress him and-  
__**Daffy Duck**__: I AIN'T NO BUNNY RABBIT_!

Old Bugs Bunny/Warner bros shtick, based on Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

Bella was lost in her mind. She felt aware of her surroundings, but it was like she couldn't quite get there. She was aware of a man hovering around her. Some surreal moments- was he carrying a _shopping cart_? She tried to talk when he touched her, but it was like her mind was trapped under something heavy. She thought wistfully of her dad, but then her mind wandered back to blank, like heavy cotton filling her mind, every thought an enormous effort. In this state, she trudged through the bathroom, and felt strong arms lift her up. She was placed in the back of Jake's van, and told to eat blueberries and drink Pepsi. Okay, this was bizarre. She had no choice but to do it, because it was as if her body housed a marionette, whose strings were pulled by this stranger. Mindlessly, she ate the berries and drank the whole can of Pepsi in without a break. She could sense that they were going very fast in the van, but did not wonder where they were going or who she was with. She felt no fear or trepidation. Time passed, and she drank three cans of Pepsi. She could feel the sugar and caffeine surging through her body, and the fog over her brain started to recede. She was bouncing around the back of the van- there were no seats. Were there no shocks on this piece of shit? She really needed a bathroom. She started to understand that she could not exercise her free will. She would have to wait for him to stop. She wondered if her voice worked. "Help," she whispered softly, trying out her voice. She wondered if she could fling the doors to the van open. Perhaps she could chuck the cans of Pepsi out the door to get someone's attention? Now she was really starting to come around and she made a herculean effort to become conscious of her surroundings. Had she been drugged? What was this feeling? She whispered, again, so softly, "help."

Suddenly, the van swerved onto the shoulder. There were no windows back there, but she could feel the surface beneath her shift from concrete to gravel. Suddenly the rear doors flew open. She saw the man, the same one she had been dimly aware of earlier. Before she could blink, he secured her in some kind of hold and was off like a rocket, running through a dense forest at top speed. Bella could hear a siren in the distance, and immediately thought of her father. The tension drained from her. Charlie would find her. She was sure of it. He would never let anything hurt her. She had complete faith in her dad, she knew that she was his whole life and that he would not hesitate to do whatever it took to retrieve her, and rescue her from whatever drugged kidnapping scheme her mind was currently dreaming up. She just had to survive intact, and eventually Charlie would come for her. She felt a little smug with this understanding. This man had no idea what he was up against. Charlie was the best shot in the state, and had a huge circle of friends in law enforcement, all armed and dangerous. Still, the man ran and ran at an impossible speed, trees whizzing by, and branches snapping insects buzzing. They must be in the national forest; this was not the park in Forks. After some period of time, the movement stopped and the man dropped Bella unceremoniously on her behind. She let out an "oof." She tilted her head and looked up at him. Was he seven feet tall? What the hell? She blinked up at him. No, probably he was tall, but seemed gigantic since she was on the ground. She struggled to stand up, trying to get her bearings. She stumbled and lunged right into him. It was like crashing into the wall, he did not even budge. He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her away from him, at his full arm's length. He leaned down and whispered "There is no help for you, Bella Swan. You belong to me now. You are mine, and I will make the decisions about where we go and what we do. Your job is to listen to everything I say and do your best to keep up." He was holding on to her so tight. They did not feel like hands on her shoulders, more like cold metal clamps, unmoving. He stared into her eyes. She immediately flinched and looked away, trying to find a far-off focal point. His eyes were a brilliant ruby red, swirling and hypnotic with large black pupils.

Bella refused to look at him. She instinctively knew that if she did, she would be lost again. She really wanted to figure out what was happening, not return to the drugged stupor. Clearly, this man was some sort of deranged demon, and he had somehow lured her with Jake's van and stolen her. She remembered seeing the van in the Costco parking lot, but not much after that. The tall man pulled her in to his chest, burying his nose on the top of her head and inhaling deeply. She shuddered. Creeeepy. Did he just sniff her? She tried to look back up at him, but the way he was holding her made that impossible. She said into his chest "um, who are you? And what are you?"

He chuckled into her hair, his warm breath down her neck. "My name is Edward. I am a vampire. I have searched for you for a hundred years, and you are mine to keep now." He stepped back and put his hand on her chin, and pulled her face toward his so he could look in her eyes. He blasted his vampire dazzle at Bella and said "You will obey me."

Bella squinched her eyes shut as tight as she could, refusing to look into his face. She started babbling "Um, no. Like no way. I don't fucking think so, Mr. Houdini or whoever you are. I am going to refuse to look at you until you tell me exactly what is going on here. You dragged me out here into this forest, you tell me you are a vampire, you have crazy red eyes and you can apparently drug me with a look. So I will keep my eyes closed until you let me ask you some questions. I'm feeling like eye contact is pretty crucial to whatever magic you have, so un-uh. No open eyes for me. No way. I can keep my eyes closed until the end, forever if I have to. A thousand years, a hundred miles, whatever it will take. I may be kidnapped right now, but I am still a person, and I have a right to know what you have in mind, and where we are headed, and what you will do with me and to me and how long you will keep me and about any girls you might have done this to before and if there will be a ransom demand and why you think my dad has any money, because he is a public servant not some kind of corporate dog with six bank accounts…"

Edward smiled happily. His little one, she was having a tantrum. How adorable she is! He said "Well, my doll face. If I want you to open your eyes, you will open them. You see, you are at my whim. I could kill you and everyone you love with a flick of my wrist. I could drain all your blood before your mind even had a chance to register that I bit you. Your life is in my hand; your future belongs to me. I want to keep you as long as I can, but if you defy me or become too much trouble, I will enjoy a long drink from you and then discard your body where no one will ever find it."

Bella squinched her eyes even tighter together. She had zero fear of death. She was 16 years old, and felt she was immortal. And speaking of immortal, this guy is a vampire! How fucking cool is that? Wait until Jessica and Lauren hears about this! A tall handsome vampire, with blood red eyes, as strong as ten men. Everyone would want to sit with her at lunch after this. She chirped up at him "Well, Edward. Do your worst. Drink me or whatever you were going to do. I'm ready as I'll ever be." She reached up and undid the first couple of buttons on her shirt, pulling it away from her neck and baring it to him. "Go for it, vampy. Try to keep it clean, though. I really don't like the sight of blood, and I don't want to pass out on you. After you drink, can we go home, though? I know my dad is super extra worried about me right now, and I hate that."

Edward was reeling from this little speech. Did this child have no survival instinct? What the hell? He would think she would either be quaking in fear or totally dazzled. He let her arms go, and she stumbled again. Clumsy, wasn't she? She still had her eyes shut tight. He said "Go ahead, little one. Ask me anything you want. And you can open your eyes. I will dial back so you can look at me without feeling dazed." He was trying to read her, to get some feel of the level of her fear, or what she might be planning to escape, but still nothing. This was worrisome, but since he was able to hypnotize her he was not so concerned about whatever brain glitch she had that he was having a hard time getting past. In fact, he kind of enjoyed the lack of images he got from her, it helped him feel relaxed. The relaxation combined with the still-surging venom that her proximity caused- well, it felt amazing. He could not remember ever feeling so content, even though he was in this predicament with his human. Edward reached down and circled her waist with his hands, letting his long fingers hang down onto her ass. He could feel her warmth through her clothes. She was so small! He had to lean down to rest his chin on top of her head. His long fingers circled her easily. He drifted off in reverie, thinking about how he was going to keep her with him all the time and make her his in every way. He was aware that she was talking to him, but he wasn't really listening, just enjoying her frail human body in his hands. He let his left hand drift up and brush against her chest. He pushed his hand into the open neck of her blouse. He could see everything with his height advantage. He pushed his fingers into her undergarment and let his hand cup her breast. He was aware that she was putting up some kind of struggle, but he did not actually care, so intent he was on getting the feel of her, getting a good idea of her. With his other hand, he circled her wrist with his hand, enjoying the way the small bones moved when he squeezed it. He then stroked her hair with his hand, trying to calm her struggle. He moved her head toward his, brushing her lips with his. Ah! She tasted divine, she smelled so sweet. He wondered how much time they had before the authorities would catch up with them. Did he have to wait to take her? Or could he risk it right here and now. He felt so alive, almost goofy and giddy as he caressed her warm breast with one hand and let the other one drift from her bottom to between her legs. AH! The heat of her. He removed his hand from her blouse and started fumbling with the button on her jeans. He did not listen as she ranted and raved and struggled, so focused was he on his task to get her clothes off and see what was so HOT under there. All the sudden, her hand flew up and smacked his face.

Bella screamed "Let go of me you fucking creeper! What the hell? What is this? I said you could bite me, not grope my tits. Who the fuck do you think you are, touching my ass? I said NO. No means no. I don't let anyone touch me, ever. I am not some nasty skank. What do you think? Have you no respect for the purity pledge? I pledged to my father, my future husband, and my creator that I will not engage in any sexual behavior at all. That means you need to keep your disgusting hands to yourself. You probably bruised my wrist, and you are squeezing me way to tight. Did you even notice that my feet aren't on the floor anymore? Put me down this minute, this instant, RIGHT NOW!" She was red-faced and furious, with tears threatening. Now she might be feeling some fear. It finally occurred to Bella that she might be in real trouble here. No, she did not fear death, but she definitely feared being forced to do something she didn't want to do, or being humiliated in any way. She was very careful socially, she was still a little embarrassed about her curvy, petite frame, and her thick frizzy hair. At school she was right on the cusp of being a total outcast geek, because of her reading addiction and her love of classical music, plus the fact that she spent most of her spare time hanging out at the gas station- she was at that place where she could sit with people at lunch, but it wouldn't occur to them to include her in their weekend plans or anything along those lines. She knew that if people thought she was kidnapped, that could be cool, but if she was assaulted, well then probably no one would be able to look her in the face and she would probably never get to experience the normal boy-girl stuff that she had been daydreaming about since she was 12. She had taken the "purity pledge" along with her friend Angela, who was the preacher's daughter, when she was 14. But she still would love to find a boyfriend, maybe at college. Disgusted with herself, she found she was shaking in terror while the vampire put his hands on her. She felt so helpless! And vulnerable! She had never really felt that way before. She suddenly understood that she could be in a truly serious situation. With pain and blood and stuff. And she felt her bladder let go, soaking her clothes straight through. Yuck.


End file.
